


Ready

by SaadieStuff



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Future Fic, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 21:23:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18432374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaadieStuff/pseuds/SaadieStuff
Summary: Set a year ish in the future from the current canon, Michael and Alex are in a good place as friends… but it’s time they decide to give love another chance.





	Ready

**Author's Note:**

> I just needed some Malex fluff mmkay?

For long months now, they’ve been _friends_. 

It had been a rocky start, involving some awkward get-togethers and near insurmountable tests of self-restraint at times. But they'd done it - they'd settled in to a new type of relationship together. 

Neither know when it happened, for it could not be pinned down to a finite moment, but over time things had become easy between them - they could hang out, they could laugh, they could build and enjoy a new shared history. And they'd discovered that when they had things to talk about besides their painful past, they could, in fact, do a lot of talking - or at least as much as can be expected from the strong, silent, types they both are.

~~~

“Thanks for hosting tonight, Alex,” Max says, “Just going to collect Liz and head out-- Oh, meant to ask, where’d you get your BBQ? I loved it, and I’m in the market for one.”

“No problem, thanks for cooking.” Alex says, “And the BBQ is from Costco. On sale in the winter.”

“Nice, well, thanks man," Max says just as the party stragglers begin to stream into the kitchen.

“Ready to go?” Max asks, turning to Liz.

“Actually we’re all calling it a night. It’s starting to get chilly out there,” Liz says.

“I offered to start a fire,” Michael shrugs.

There’s banter and laughter as the group says their goodbyes and heads towards the door, but Michael finds himself not paying attention, instead concentrating on Alex, who has been squirmy and quiet around him all evening.

“Night, Alex,” Michael says with a small wave, trying to act as normal as possible, even though this discomfort isn’t normal for them, not anymore, and Michael's worries have settled like a heavy pit in his stomach over the last few hours. 

As Michael attempts to slip by, Alex catches his arm and speaks quietly. “Can you stick around?”

“Yeah,” Michael manages to say casually, nervous but relieved to at least know he isn't imagining things. He hangs back discreetly as the rest leave.

Alex takes a deep breath as he closes the door behind the last guest, leaning there for a moment before turning to face Michael.

“So, what’s up?” Michael asks cautiously. He’d forgotten how much he hates the feeling that he and Alex are on unsure footing, now after being so stable for months. It terrifies him how that may have crumbled in one evening.

“I’m ready,” Alex says plainly.

“Ready for…?” Michael says slowly.

“Us.”

“Us?”

“I’ve being working through my shit this last year," Alex explains as he sways nervously, shifting his weight from side to side, "And… now… I can’t go live the rest of my life without having given this thing with you a try. An honest to god try.”

Michael exhales hard and looks away, running a suddenly clammy hand over the back of his neck. “Alex…”

“Look, I know we’ve never been on the same page at the right time. But I’m here, on the page-- on _our_ page,” Alex says, words tumbling out a lot faster than he'd planned, “And if you’re not ready, if you still need to figure stuff out, I’ll wait. I’ll wait and I’ll help you, if-- I mean, of course, if you want to try too. If-- if you want _me_.”

Michael smiles that big nervous smile of his, the one that always breaks across his face whenever he wants to hide, when he's torn between laughing or crying. 

“Alex Manes, when I was 17 you made me feel for the first time like there might be a place for me, like earth could be my home, like I could be happy here. And ever since then I've been chasing that feeling, tryin’ to find it again, building a frickin' spaceship because I couldn't-- I couldn't find it again... except..." Michael shakes his head ruefully, "Except those few times when you’d blow into town and take me to bed and-- I don't mean to say it's about sex. It's not. Because I had that feeling before we-- you know, just you being nice to me, giving me a place to stay and a guitar? Man, that was _everything_. And now when we've been friends I get to be close to that feeling again and it's--" he pauses to take a breath, "So… yeah, I guess what I'm saying is, I'm _always_ going to want that. I'm always going to want _you_.”

“Oh…” Alex says, or rather _breathes_ the wisp of a word, trying to process.

“I'm sorry. That was a lot," Michael huffs out a nervous laugh and lets his lips creep into a small, genuine smile, "I thought I'd try this new thing where I actually say stuff…” 

“No, it's good," Alex assures him, taking a step forward, almost involuntarily for the want to wrap Michael up in his arms, "Saying stuff.” 

“Ya? Good. Because how I felt tonight... I knew there was something off and I was freaking out," Michael admits, wrapping his arms around himself instead. 

Alex smiles sympathetically, "I'm sorry, I decided today was the day and I was nervous about bringing this up - I didn't mean to telegraph it to you all night."

"It's okay. Maybe it should tell me that putting all of _that_ ," he waves his hand in the air, " _home_ and _belonging_ stuffon you is too much. I need to find it in _myself_ , you know? And-- fuck, am I drunk or what because I don't even know what I'm saying," Michael blurts out, diving for the cover of humour. 

"Nah, I don't think this is drunk Michael talking. I think it's emotionally-mature Michael talking," Alex says, quirking an eyebrow but sounding a little proud. 

"No one's ever called me _that_ before," Michael says with a lopsided grin. 

Alex beams at him, "Get used to it if you keep up with this 'saying stuff' business."

Michael actually blushes at the praise. He rocks back on his heels, buying some time to collect himself. But Alex, a little anxious, preempts him, circling back to the more serious issues. 

"Like I said... I'll wait. Because we still have _our_ shit to work on..." Alex admits, further closing the gap between them and reaching to take Michael's hands in his, squeezing them comfortingly, massaging gently over the scarred one, "If you need to figure some things out for yourself first..."

"No need. I'm _emotionally-mature-_ cowboy now," Michael says slyly, slipping his hands from Alex's and sliding them around Alex's waist, drawing him closer.

Alex laughs, trying to suppress the flutter in his gut radiating out from where he can feel Michael's warm hands through his shirt. 

“So… how do we swing this transition from friends to lovers?” Michael asks, licking his lips before plastering his most flirtatious, goofy, smile across his face.

“That would be lovers to friends to lovers,” Alex corrects him playfully as he closes the gap between them, his hands falling softly on Michael's chest, their hips almost touching.

Michael smirks and leans in, “Does that mean we just keep doing what we’ve been doing for months... except that I get to kiss you good night?”

“And good morning…?” Alex adds shyly, not sure if it's too much too fast - he's had time to process this, Michael hasn't. 

But Alex gets his answer when Michael smiles so big he feels a little embarrassed for how revealing it is. Alex grins softly back, slowly, deliberately, sliding his hands up Michael's chest to his neck, then jaw, until his thumbs touch the corners of Michael's lips, the caress silently telling Michael how much Alex likes _this_ smile. This smile that's all joy, this smile that's not a wall. 

Their lips meet, and it’s like their early kisses: gentle, but needy, and full of hope.

They part moments later, already breathless. 

“Damn, we were always so good at that,” Michael chuckles.

Alex hums in agreement as they sway together, foreheads touching, trying to take in the moment, trying to grasp that this is really happening. 

“I’m a little nervous,” Michael admits with a gulp cutting through the silence, “This kinda feels like the first time…”

"Yeah," Alex agrees, because for the first time since then, their love feels elevated above the pain and sorrow, not tangled in it. And for that reason it takes all of Alex's strength to make an offer to which he hopes the answer is 'no'. “We can take things slow, you know, if you want?"

“Slow enough to make it to your bed, maybe…” Michael quips.

Alex laughs, and kisses him again.

**Author's Note:**

> Emotionally-Mature-Cowboy action figures are now available at your local Costco.


End file.
